SWNOVELS Chapter 228 It’s Confusing
Alex made his way to Lisa's room, his steps slower than usual as he replayed the events in his mind. After asking the nurse for directions, he finally found himself standing outside her door. With a deep breath, he stepped inside, taking in the sight of Lisa lying on the bed, His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, his brow furrowed as he stood at the foot of her bed.
still unconscious. The room was quiet, the soft beeping of the machines the only sound breaking the silence.
Could it be true that Lisa was behind this? he wondered.
The question gnawing at the back of his mind. There was something about the whole situation that didn't sit right with him.
Before he could dwell on it further, he noticed her fingers twitch. Her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked a few times before her gaze found him. A weak smile tugged at her lips as she softly called out his name. "Alex..."
He pressed his lips together in a thin line, nodding in acknowledgment. "You're awake," he muttered, more to himself than to her. He took a step closer to the bed, his expression still guarded. "I'll call the doctor." But before he could turn to leave, Lisa's hand shot out, grabbing his wrist with surprising strength. "Don't leave me," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.
Alex looked down at her, searching her face for any signs of deceit. But all he saw was fear, raw and unfiltered. He wasn't sure if she was just putting on an act or if this was genuine, but something in her eyes made him hesitate. "Lisa," he began, trying to keep his voice neutral, "I'll be back. I just need to get the doctor."
Her grip on his wrist tightened, but he gently pried her fingers away. "I won't be long," he added, though there wasn't much warmth in his tone. With that, he turned and walked out of the room, heading straight for the nurse's station.
A few minutes later, Alex returned to the room, following behind the doctor and nurse who quickly got to work checking on Lisa. The doctor gave her a thorough examination before turning to Alex. "She's fine, just some bruises on her back. No concussion. She'll need rest, but she should be good as new soon enough."
Lisa thanked the doctor, who nodded and left the room with the nurse, leaving Alex and Lisa alone once more. The silence stretched between them, the air thick with unspoken words. Lisa turned to him, her voice soft and a bit shy. "Thank you, Alex... for being here with me."
Alex drew in a deep breath, nodding slightly. "It's nothing," he replied, his tone distant. He couldn't shake the unease that had settled in his chest. "Why were you at the fashion show?" he asked, his gaze steady on her.
Lisa didn't miss a beat. "My company asked me to attend," she answered smoothly, her expression innocent.
He nodded, not pressing the issue further. But the suspicion lingered, like a dark cloud that wouldn't dissipate. Before he could say anything else, Lisa reached out, her hand brushing against his cheek as she tried to dust off some dirt. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned lacing her voice.
Alex caught her hand before she could touch his face, gently but firmly pushing it down. "I'm fine," he said, his voice cool. "Don't worry about me."
Lisa's smile faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered. "You should rest too, Alex. You look tired."
"I've got work to do," he replied, his tone dismissive. He turned to leave, not wanting to prolong the conversation any further.
But just as he reached the door, Lisa called out to him, her voice tinged with desperation. "Alex... are you going to leave me again?"
He stopped in his tracks, turning to face her fully.
"I have to go, Lisa. The nurse will take care of you," he said, his tone firm but not unkind.
And with that, he walked out of the room, leaving Lisa alone once more. As the door clicked shut behind him, Lisa's expression darkened. She clenched the blanket in her fists, her frustration bubbling to the surface.
Even after everything I did, he's still so cold, she thought bitterly. But then, she allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. At least he visited me. That's something.
She sank back into the pillows, her mind racing. There was still time. She wasn't out of the game yet. If Alex wanted to play hard to get, she'd just have to be smarter.
Claire settled into the passenger seat of Matthew's car, her mind still buzzing with the events of the day. Matthew turned on the engine, and they pulled away from the hospital.
"So," Matthew began, glancing at Claire as they merged into traffic, "what's this big thing you wanted to tell me?"
Claire didn't beat around the bush. "Earlier at the fashion show, I saw Lisa."
Matthew's foot slammed on the brake, causing the car to jolt to a sudden stop. Claire shot him a sharp glare, her hand instinctively reaching for the dashboard to steady herself. Matthew winced and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to almost give you whiplash. But, uh, what do you mean you saw Lisa?"
"Yes, Lisa Thompson," Claire repeated, the sarcasm in her tone not lost on him. She folded her arms, clearly not impressed by his dramatic reaction.
Matthew eased back into the flow of traffic, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as he processed what Claire had just said. "Okay, but what does that mean? She was just... there?"
Claire gave him a look that practically screamed, Are you serious right now? It took a second, but then something seemed to click in Matthew's brain. "Wait... you think Lisa had something to do with the fire?" Claire nodded, her expression turning more serious. "The timing was too perfect, Matthew. It's suspicious, to say the least."
Matthew glanced at her again, this time with a furrowed brow. "Are you sure? I mean, it's a big leap to make." "I'm sure," Claire replied, her voice firm. "But I don't have concrete proof yet, so it's all just speculation for now." Matthew let out a low whistle, clearly intrigued. "So, what do you want to do? You want me to look into it?"
"Exactly," Claire said, turning her gaze back to the road ahead. "Investigate the venue. I know it's going to be tough since the fire probably destroyed most of the evidence, including the surveillance cameras, but we need to start somewhere."
Matthew nodded, his mind already working through the logistics. "It's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. The fire happened inside, so whatever caused it... It's probably buried under a ton of
debris."
"I know," Claire sighed, running a hand through her hair. "But we don't have a choice. We need to figure out what really happened, and if Lisa's involved, we need to know why." Matthew considered her words carefully, then asked, "So how exactly did the fire start? Any ideas?"
Claire recounted the incident with a frown. "A light fell, got electrified, and that was it. It sparked a fire, and the rest is history."
Matthew let out a low hum of understanding. "That's weird. Lights don't just fall on their own."
"Exactly," Claire said, her tone
indicating she'd been thinking the
same thing. "It's too convenient. And with Lisa showing up out of
nowhere... I can't shake the feeling
that she's somehow connected to all
this."
Matthew's hands tightened around the steering wheel as he made a mental checklist of everything he'd need to do. "Alright, I'll get on it. It's not gonna be easy, but I'll see what I can dig up."